10 Most Liveable Cities

The Economist, a British publication with an international reach, reports their Economist Intelligence Unit has ranked the world's top 10 cities for "liveability" (note British spelling). All but two of the top 10 are in three former British colonies: Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

The two exceptions are Vienna and Helsinki, ranked 2 and 8 respectively. The balance in descending order are Melbourne, Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Adelaide, Sydney, Perth, and Aukland. What do these ten have in common? The ten cities

Tend to be mid-sized cities in wealthier countries with a relatively low population density.

As it happens, the DrsC have visited all 10 at least once, four more than once, and they are mostly a fine bunch. Perth was a particular favorite of mine, reminding me of an idealized California city, without the drawbacks. Calgary is great too.

Weather is a real plus for the antipodean cities of Oz and Enzed, much more benign than that of either Canada or Europe. The other DrC reminds me Toronto probably doesn't deserve inclusion in this list - it's too big and has too many big-city problems.

The U.S. is a wealthier country with mid-sized cities in areas of relatively low population density. It is likely the absence of NHS-style guaranteed health care kept U.S. cities from qualifying, reflecting British bias.